In the Name of God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

What times we live in!  Occupy Wall Street . . . the Tea Party . . . a financial crisis that seems to go on and on, in which jobs are hard to find, and if you’ve got a job, you may not be certain you’re gonna keep it, and pensions and benefits are threatened.  The city, the state, the country . . . indeed much of the world is struggling.  Protestors raging, governments falling . . . it goes on and on.

In this world of turmoil, Grace usually feels to me like an oasis of stability . . .  a place to come to rest and recharge.  But even here, as we begin to think about our budget for next year, we wonder what the results of our stewardship campaign will be.  How will next year go for us? . . .  How will Grace fare in the years to come?  We’re both concerned and hopeful.  Who knows?  Who knows what the future holds?

What a context in which to gather to celebrate the dedication of this church we love.  I’ve been struggling with how to put these two things together . . . the joy we feel marking this anniversary and the anxiety many of us feel about the future of our world.  How do you have a birthday party in the midst of such uncertainty?

I suppose that one possibility would be to spend our time looking back and celebrating the past.  But I expect you know me well enough to know that I’m more interested in looking ahead to the future than in pondering the past.  So how do we carry our hope securely into the future where some fear we will meet disaster?

Remember when you were a child?  Remember the fears of the night?  Maybe there was something in your life that rightly made you afraid . . . I’m very sorry if that was the case.  But for many of us, the fears of the night were not grounded in reality but in ghost stories and dreams.  I, for one, used to LOVE to hear horrible stories that scared me half to death.  But wherever it came from . . . the fear we felt was still fear.

Did you ever wake up in the middle of the night suddenly terrified?  What was that sound?  Was it someone in the basement?  Some THING in the basement?  In the closet?  Under the BED?  I can remember holding my breath, afraid to move a muscle.  What to do?  What to do?  I can remember be too frightened to do anything . . . and yet knowing that I had to do something . . .

MOM!

Pretty soon there would be the sound of familiar steps coming toward my room.  The door would open.  A hand would reach for the light switch . . . nothing grabbed her . . . nothing jumped out at her . . . the room would be flooded with light.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m afraid.”

“Don’t worry, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Eventually, after I was appropriately calmed and reassured, Mom would leave, turning off the light and shutting the door.  And everything was okay.

Actually, thinking about it now, I realize that everything was okay as soon as she turned on the light.  As soon as that light flooded the room, everything was okay . . . all of the hobgoblins and gremlins of the night melted away.

My friends, Jesus is our light.  Jesus is the light to banish all our fears.

There was a period when Jesus told his closest friends some pretty scary stories.  According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, before setting off on their last trip to Jerusalem, Jesus explained to his friends – the disciples – what was going to happen.  He taught them about the crucifixion.  He also taught them about the resurrection, but they seem to have only heard the first part about his terrible death.  He scared the pants off them.  And then he took the friends he was the very closest to – Peter, John, and James – who were probably also the most frightened . . . he took them up a mountain to pray.

Remember what happened next?

Jesus was transformed . . . transfigured . . . his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightening and his face shone like the sun.  And his friends’ fears were banished.

Jesus is the light that banishes all fear.

Yes, the financial world is a mess.  Who knows what our economic future holds.  Who knows what’s gonna happen with ANYTHING?  Yes, there may be struggle and hardship for some of us.  But when you hear predictions of disaster, remember the light of Christ.  Ya know where the word ‘disaster’ comes from?  From ‘dis,’ which can be translated as ‘without’, and ‘astron,’ which can be translated ‘star.’  As disaster is to be without a star . . . to be without a star to guide you on your way . . . as a star guided the wise men.

The next time you hear prognostications of disaster, remember the light of Christ . . . our guiding star. . . and fear no more.  With every prediction of future horrors, remember . . . “No.  not for us . . . not for me.  I have a star to guide me . . . a light to banish all fear . . . a light as dazzling as a flash of lightening and as bright as the sun.  I have Jesus Christ.

Happy anniversary!  May Grace Church continue to be guided by its star . . . flooded with the light of Christ . . . a place of comfort and solace and a beacon of hope for all.

Amen.

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